The European Commission has included ChatGPT among the digital services subject to the strictest level of surveillance provided by the Digital Services Law, DSA by its acronym in English. Brussels has designated it as a ‘very large online search engine’a category reserved for services that exceed the 45 million monthly users in the European Union.
The decision also affects reddit and Robloxin this case classified as ‘very large online platforms’. According to the Commission, ChatGPT has 159.1 million monthly users in the EU, compared to 57.2 millions of Reddit and 46.6 million Roblox.
The three companies have four months from the notification to comply with the additional obligations of the DSA. The deadline ends in January 2027 and will require a review how they identify, evaluate and reduce the risks associated with their services and algorithmic systems.
The Commission demands that they face the ‘systemic risks arising from its services and related algorithmic systems with the dissemination of illegal content, the negative effects on minors, the physical and mental well-being of users, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public safety’.
The Digital Services Law is the European framework that regulates the responsibility of platforms, search engines, online markets and other digital intermediaries. Your goal is create a safer digital environment, protect fundamental rights and demand greater transparency around advertising, recommendation systems and content moderation decisions.
The regulations reinforce the protection of minors and prohibits certain advertising practices. These include advertisements aimed at children and adolescents or those based on sensitive data such as religion, sexual orientation or ethnic origin. Also obliges platforms to explain why they eliminate or restrict content and offer the user a way to appeal the decision.
Demands increase as the size and influence of the service grows. Platforms and search engines that have more than 45 million users must carry out periodic risk assessments, adopt measures to reduce them, undergo independent audits and provide information to authorities and authorized researchers. OpenAI It must also strengthen transparency around advertising, algorithms and moderation when those functions are part of the service.
The Commission has already applied various obligations to Seeker of Google and bingthat of Microsoftas well as Facebook, instagram, TikTok, YouTube, x, amazon, AliExpressthe App Store from Apple and Booking.com. WhatsApp also entered this category in January 2026, although the designation affects only Channels and not to your private messaging service.
The classification means that Brussels will be able directly supervise compliance with new obligations and demand changes when it considers the measures adopted insufficient. The DSA allows fines of up to 6% of annual worldwide turnover when a violation is confirmed.